Numerous heart attack fatalities have been reported at garba festivities in Gujarat. These deaths may have been caused by pre-existing ailments, lengthy hours of fasting, improper diet, and ignorance of common heart conditions.
At least 10 heart attack deaths have been reported during garba celebrations across Gujarat in a single day, with the youngest victim being just 17 years old, according to a number of news reports. Veer Shah, a teenage boy, became abruptly unwell while performing a garba at a gathering in Kapadvanj, a town in the Kheda district. According to reports, when his nose started bleeding, he was taken right away to the hospital.
However, a heart attack was cited as the cause of his death. Later, his family issued a public warning: “Don’t play garba for long stretches of time without taking a break. I lost my son today. I hope the same does not happen to anybody else.”
Another example involved a 19-year-old first-year engineering student who passed away in Jamnagar while taking part in a garba dance owing to suspected heart failure.
Dr. Mohit Bhutani, an assistant professor in the department of cardiology at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad explains, “Heart attacks occurring in young individuals during energetic activities like dancing to loud music can stem from various factors. It’s crucial to emphasize that heart attacks in the younger population are relatively uncommon in comparison to older adults, but they can still transpire under specific circumstances.
One potential instigator is drug use, particularly the misuse of stimulant substances like cocaine or amphetamines. These substances have the capacity to elevate heart rate and blood pressure, exerting excessive pressure on the heart and potentially culminating in a heart attack. In scenarios involving activities like dancing and loud music, where drug use may be more prevalent, this can contribute significantly.”
Causes
According to Dr. V. Vinoth Kumar, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, CARE Hospitals, HITEC City, Hyderabad, there are many potential causes of a heart attack during a garba event or other strenuous activity:
• Pre-existing cardiac conditions: People who have coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, or issues with their heart valves may be at higher risk. Dancing can be physically demanding and exciting, which could put your heart at risk for a heart attack.
• Overexertion: A heart attack can result from dancing too hard or pushing oneself beyond what they can physically handle.
• Heat and dehydration: Dancing in a hot setting without adequate drinking can result in dehydration, which increases the heart’s workload and could result in a heart attack.
• Abuse of drugs or alcohol: Using stimulants or drinking too much alcohol while dancing can stress the heart and raise the risk of a heart attack.
Prevention
• Regular exercise and physical fitness: Keep up a regular exercise schedule to strengthen your heart’s ability to withstand physical exertion and to improve your cardiovascular health.
• Proper warm-up and cool-down: Before dancing, always warm up to get your body ready for physical activity, and cool down to gradually lower your heart rate and heart-related stress.
• Hydration: To ensure that your body performs at its best and lower the risk of issues associated to dehydration, be well hydrated before, during, and after dancing.
• Heart-healthy diet: To keep your heart healthy and lower your risk of heart-related problems, maintain a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
• Regular medical exams: Having regular medical exams can help you monitor your heart health and make the necessary changes to your activities and lifestyle, especially if you already have a heart problem or other risk factors.
• Avoid using drugs or drinking too much alcohol while exercising as these behaviours can put a significant amount of strain on the heart.
Other contributing factors
• Obesity: With young people’s rate of obesity on the rise, they may develop diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, which all increase their chance of having a heart attack.
• Stress and mental health: Poor mental health, chronic stress, and anxiety can all lead to hazardous lifestyle decisions, bad eating patterns, and an increased risk of heart-related issues.
• Hereditary considerations: Even in the absence of the usual risk factors, some people may have a hereditary predisposition to heart diseases, making heart attacks more likely to occur earlier in life.
• Undiagnosed or unmanaged conditions: Young adults may go years without learning they have hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol, which increases their chance of having a heart attack.
• External variables: Sedentary lifestyles, environmental exposure, and poor access to healthcare can all raise the risk of heart attacks in young people.
Conclusion
To sum up, exercise is generally good for cardiovascular health but intense physical activity can occasionally cause a heart attack, particularly in people who are at risk or have underlying cardiac issues. The heart has to work harder during exercise to supply the extra oxygen and nutrients needed.
This can increase the heart’s workload, particularly if atherosclerosis has already narrowed the arteries. Even though they are uncommon, coronary artery spasms can happen when exercising, which can suddenly reduce blood supply to the heart. In people who already have coronary artery disease, this can result in chest pain or a heart attack.
Intense exercise can raise blood pressure and heart rate, which may cause brittle plaques in the coronary arteries to rupture. Exercise-induced plaque rupture can result in the creation of a blood clot and a heart attack.
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